Note: This story is featured in the 2026 edition of Dave Campbell's Texas Football's Summer Magazine, which you can order here.

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BEHIND ENEMY LINES 

(Tech) ran into a team with a similar budget and lost by 20 points. They were really good last year, but I think some of the play-calling was exposed once they faced a credible defense with the same type of talent. 

We’re all jealous of Joey (McGuire) and the resources that his donors are giving him. We just can’t keep up with what they’re doing out there, and that’s forced a lot of teams around the Big 12 to go a different route and get back to recruiting and developing. They’ll have a talent advantage every year in the league, so it comes down to whether the coaching staff can hit in the portal every year. 

They’ll win the Big 12 again, but can they beat teams in the playoffs with rosters that are also worth $40 million or whatever they’re spending? I doubt it. 

SCHEDULE AND PREDICTIONS   

Sept. 5 ACU W  

Sept. 12 at Oregon State W    

Sept. 18 Houston W  

Sept. 26 Sam Houston W  

Oct. 3 at Colorado W  

Oct. 10 IDLE  

Oct. 17 Arizona State L  

Oct. 24 at Cincinnati W  

Oct. 31 Arizona W  

Nov. 7 West Virginia W  

Nov. 14 at Oklahoma State L  

Nov. 21 at Baylor W  

Nov. 26 TCU  W  

Record: 10-2 (8-2)  

BIGGEST GAME – Nov. 28 vs. TCU   

The toughest game on a relatively easy Texas Tech schedule might be the season finale against TCU. The Horned Frogs are a dark horse candidate to win the Big 12 and a late season loss at home would hurt the Red Raiders’ CFP résumé. TCU has won five of the last six against Tech.    

TRAP GAME – Nov. 14 at Oklahoma State   

Former Red Raider wide receiver Eric Morris is now the head coach at Oklahoma State and a signature win over his alma mater would give the Cowboys a significant boost. Stillwater is never a fun place to play in November and the Cowboys could be the surprise team in the Big 12.   

UPSET ALERT – Nov. 21 at Baylor   

Joey McGuire is 1-2 against Baylor, a program he helped build into a Big 12 champion the year he was hired as head coach at Texas Tech. The Bears have won three of the last four against the Red Raiders overall and this is the last home game of the season for Baylor.   

BEST CASE/WORST CASE  

Best Case: 12-0   

The Red Raiders avoid any regular season hiccups while dominating an easy non-conference slate and a Big 12 schedule that includes only four road trips. Texas Tech meets either Utah or BYU in the conference championship game after avoiding both in the regular season and QB Brendon Sorsby is a Heisman finalist.   

Worst Case: 8-4   

The loss of Brendan Sorsby creates an avalanche of bad news for the Red Raiders as Will Hammond struggles to get 100 percent healthy and Texas Tech loses multiple conference games, misses the Big 12 championship, and fails to return to the College Football Playoff despite a massive investment.    

2025 RESULTS  

Aug. 30 Arkansas Pine-Bluff W 67-7   

Sept. 6 Kent State W 62-14  

Sept. 13 Oregon State W 45-14  

Sept. 20 at Utah W 34-10  

Oct. 4 at Houston W 35-11  

Oct. 11 Kansas W 42-17  

Oct. 18 at Arizona State L 26-22  

Oct. 25 Oklahoma State W 42-0  

Nov. 1 at Kansas State W 43-20  

Nov. 8 BYU W 29-7  

Nov. 15 UCF W 48-9  

Nov. 29 at West Virginia W 49-0  

Dec. 6 BYU (Big 12 Champ) W 34-7  

Jan. 1 Oregon (CFP) L 23-0  

Record: 12-2 (9-1)